GoonBlog.com
type: channel
description: Hockey fight blog with humorous, blow-by-blow commentary on goons, enforcers and donnybrooks
date: 2026-05-17T20:03:06Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
generator agent: https://wordpress.org/
items: Do Enforcers Still Exist in Hockey? Modern NHL Fight Roles
items: Unacceptable: The Bruins Piss Away Their 100-point Season
items: No Mic, No Problem: Buffalo Sabres Fans Belt Out O Canada
items: Union Labor and Broken Bones: A Gregory Campbell Sweater in the Wild
items: Three Seconds In: Every Fight From the 2026 NHL Playoffs So Far
items: How Wicked Sweet It Is: The Bruins 2026 Fight Card So Far
items: The Best 2024-2025 NHL Fights
items: Oh Captain, My Captain – Winter Classic 2025
items: Fighting Spirit: Kastelic Shines Amid Bruins’ Struggle
items: GoonBlog.com: Benched, Traded or Just Lacing Back Up?

Do Enforcers Still Exist in Hockey? Modern NHL Fight Roles
type: item
creator: The Ref
date: 2026-05-17T07:33:24Z
subject: Goons
subject: Arber "Wifi" Xhekaj
subject: Derek Boogaard
subject: Matt Rempe
subject: Old Time Hockey
description: If you’ve spent any time on Reddit or hockey Twitter lately, you’ve probably seen the question pop up: are enforcers still a thing in hockey? It’s usually asked by someone who just watched Matt Rempe try to dismantle a human being, or maybe someone who tuned out around 2011 and is just getting back into … The post Do Enforcers Still Exist in Hockey? Modern NHL Fight Roles first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: If you’ve spent any time on Reddit or hockey Twitter lately, you’ve probably seen the question pop up: are enforcers still a thing in hockey? It’s usually asked by someone who just watched Matt Rempe try to dismantle a human being, or maybe someone who tuned out around 2011 and is just getting back into the sport. The short answer is yes. The long answer is yes, but they don’t look like Bob Probert anymore. The game has changed, the rules have tightened, and the days of the three-minute-per-night heavyweight are over. But if you think the enforcer is extinct, you haven’t been paying attention to the 2025-26 season. Drop the Gloves The Extinction of the One-Dimensional Goon The Modern Enforcer: Skill Meets Fist The 2025-26 Fight Landscape The Bruins: Still Dropping the Mitts FAQ: The Enforcer Question Are enforcers still a thing in hockey? Who are the best fighters in the NHL right now? Why did traditional enforcers disappear from the NHL? Does fighting actually help teams win? The Extinction of the One-Dimensional Goon Let’s get one thing straight. The traditional enforcer – the guy who played four minutes a night, couldn’t skate backward, and only existed to punch someone in the snot box – is dead. Gone. Finished. The salary cap killed him. When every dollar matters, a general manager can’t waste a roster spot on a player who is a liability the second the puck drops. Back in the pre-cap days, teams could afford to carry a guy whose only job was to sit on the bench and wait for someone to take a run at the star center. That math doesn’t work anymore. Every roster spot has to justify its existence, and “I punch good” stopped being enough around 2012. Rule changes didn’t help either. Don’t get me started. The instigator rule, the helmet-off penalty, the visor mandate – they all conspired to make fighting more costly and more dangerous at the same time. And then there’s the CTE awareness. The tragic deaths of Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak in the summer of…

Unacceptable: The Bruins Piss Away Their 100-point Season
type: item
creator: Chris
date: 2026-05-02T21:22:33Z
subject: Mark Kastelic
subject: Buffalo Sabres
description: The Boston Bruins’ 2025-26 season ended in a 4-1 Game 6 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden on May 1, 2026, eliminating them from the first round of the NHL playoffs. This post breaks down the catastrophic failure of the Bruins’ top lines, the surprising grit of the fourth line featuring Mark Kastelic, … The post Unacceptable: The Bruins Piss Away Their 100-point Season first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: The Boston Bruins’ 2025-26 season ended in a 4-1 Game 6 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden on May 1, 2026, eliminating them from the first round of the NHL playoffs. This post breaks down the catastrophic failure of the Bruins’ top lines, the surprising grit of the fourth line featuring Mark Kastelic, Sean Kuraly, and Tanner Jeannot, and the unforgettable moment Buffalo fans sang the Canadian anthem at KeyBank Center before Game 5. I’m sitting here in front of a screen displaying a taunting final score. My head hurts. My soul hurts. The Bruins just got bounced from the playoffs by the Buffalo Sabres in six games, and I can’t stop replaying it. Unacceptable is the only word I can come up with to describe last night’s series-ending loss to our old Adams Division rival. I don’t want to take anything away from Buffalo here. They’re a good hockey team, and their fan base has been waiting for a playoff series win since 2007 – that’s 19 years of suffering, which is a language we speak fluently in this town. Hats off to them. But where I’m struggling is the math. <img decoding="async" width="908" height="571" src="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image.png" alt="Unacceptable: The Bruins Piss Away Their 100-point Season | image" class="wp-image-1974" title="Unacceptable: The Bruins Piss Away Their 100-point Season | Goons" srcset="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image-300x189.png 300w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image-768x483.png 768w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image.png 908w" sizes="(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px" /> How does a team that tied for the league lead with 29 wins at home this year lose all three home games in the playoffs? The stakes don’t get any higher than this. And they were the better team for about a period and a half last night. Then they wound up losing 4-1. Say it with me. Unacceptable. In This Article The home ice collapse nobody can explain Game 4 was a war…

No Mic, No Problem: Buffalo Sabres Fans Belt Out O Canada
type: item
creator: The Ref
date: 2026-04-30T01:05:14Z
subject: GoonSquad
subject: Buffalo Sabres
subject: Off Topic
subject: The Ref
description: When the mic cut out during O Canada at Game 5, the Buffalo crowd stepped up and sang every word. As a Canadian, I can tell you exactly how that felt to watch. The post No Mic, No Problem: Buffalo Sabres Fans Belt Out O Canada first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: I was watching the pregame feed from Buffalo last night, waiting for Game 5 to start. Cami Clune was at center ice, ready to sing O Canada. She got about ten words in before the microphone died. Completely dead air. You could see the panic on her face for a split second. But then something incredible happened. The crowd at KeyBank Center took over. They sang the rest of the Canadian national anthem at the top of their lungs. And they knew the words. Every single one of them. As a Canadian guy who grew up in Ottawa and now lives in Vermont, I can tell you exactly how that felt to watch. It hit hard. You don’t expect 19,000 Americans to know the lyrics to another country’s anthem. You definitely don’t expect them to sing it with that kind of volume. But Buffalo isn’t just any American city, and hockey isn’t just any sport. Why Buffalo Knows O Canada The Sabres are unique in the NHL. Most American teams only play the Canadian anthem when a Canadian team is visiting. Buffalo plays it before every single home game, regardless of the opponent. They do it out of respect for their geography. KeyBank Center is literally five miles from the Canadian border. A massive chunk of the Sabres’ fan base drives over the Peace Bridge from Fort Erie and Southern Ontario for every game. They are a binational franchise in everything but name. So when that mic cut out, those fans weren’t just being polite. They were singing a song they hear 41 times a year. They own it just as much as we do. A History of Cross-Border Respect This isn’t the first time hockey fans have stepped up when the anthem goes sideways. It’s actually a pretty proud tradition in this sport. Back in 2014, right after the tragic shooting at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, the Pittsburgh Penguins were hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Two American teams. But the Penguins had their legendary anthem singer, Jeff Jimerson, sing O Canada anyway as a tribute. The entire Consol Energy Center sang along. <img decoding="asyn…

Union Labor and Broken Bones: A Gregory Campbell Sweater in the Wild
type: item
creator: Chris
date: 2026-04-27T20:34:39Z
subject: Goons
subject: Gregory Campbell
subject: Shawn Thornton
description: This post is a tribute to the Boston Bruins fourth line legacy, specifically the Merlot Line – the trio of Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton, and Daniel Paille who defined gritty, grinding hockey at TD Garden from 2010 to 2014. Written from the perspective of a lifelong Bruins fan who spotted a Gregory Campbell Bruins sweater … The post Union Labor and Broken Bones: A Gregory Campbell Sweater in the Wild first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: This post is a tribute to the Boston Bruins fourth line legacy, specifically the Merlot Line – the trio of Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton, and Daniel Paille who defined gritty, grinding hockey at TD Garden from 2010 to 2014. Written from the perspective of a lifelong Bruins fan who spotted a Gregory Campbell Bruins sweater in the crowd during the 2025-26 season, it covers the Merlot Line Boston Bruins history, the heavyweight fight record of Shawn Thornton Bruins fans still talk about, and the moment Gregory Campbell broke his leg on the penalty kill against Pittsburgh and refused to leave the ice. Walking Into a 6-1 Bloodletting Walking into the Garden yesterday for the 6-1 bloodletting, I saw a gentleman wearing a Gregory Campbell sweater. <img decoding="async" width="500" height="390" src="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1.png" alt="Union Labor and Broken Bones: A Gregory Campbell Sweater in the Wild | image 1" class="wp-image-1939" title="Union Labor and Broken Bones: A Gregory Campbell Sweater in the Wild | Goons" srcset="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1-300x234.png 300w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /> In addition to it being one of the most random jerseys in the raucous crowd, it made me think about how much the beloved Boston Bruins faithful love a good fourth liner. We suffer through losses like yesterday’s with a quiet, grim dignity. But you see a Gregory Campbell sweater and something clicks. You remember what this team was. You remember what it felt like to watch a line that would run through a wall for you and not ask for a damn thing in return. The Merlot Line Boston Bruins era ran from roughly 2010 to 2014. Campbell, Thornton, and Paille. They were an interesting bunch, and not in the way that gets you a 10-team bidding war in free agency. Interesting in the way that made you feel like the guy next to you at the bar a…

Three Seconds In: Every Fight From the 2026 NHL Playoffs So Far
type: item
creator: The Ref
date: 2026-04-27T00:20:22Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: GoonBlog.com is tracking every confirmed hockey fight from the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first round kicked off April 18, 2026, and the gloves came off almost immediately – starting with Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal dropping them three seconds into Game 1 of the Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes series. This post covers … The post Three Seconds In: Every Fight From the 2026 NHL Playoffs So Far first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: GoonBlog.com is tracking every confirmed hockey fight from the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first round kicked off April 18, 2026, and the gloves came off almost immediately – starting with Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal dropping them three seconds into Game 1 of the Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes series. This post covers all four confirmed playoff tilts logged on the premier hockey fighting database through April 26, 2026, with blow-by-blow breakdowns, fight verdicts, and series context for each bout. <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="703" src="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-NHL-Playoffs-1024x703.gif" alt="2026 NHL Playoff Fights" class="wp-image-1943" title="Three Seconds In: Every Fight From the 2026 NHL Playoffs So Far | Goons" srcset="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-NHL-Playoffs-300x206.gif 300w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-NHL-Playoffs-768x527.gif 768w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-NHL-Playoffs-1024x703.gif 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> Three seconds. That’s how long it took. The puck dropped in Raleigh on April 18, and before anyone had even processed the fact that playoff hockey was back, Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal were already throwing hands at center ice. The crowd went absolutely berserk. And honestly? Same. That’s the thing about playoff hockey fights. They hit different. Regular season scraps are great – don’t get me wrong – but when the stakes are real and the gloves drop in the first minute of a playoff game, it means something. It’s a statement. It’s two guys saying we are not here to play nice. And I am here for every second of it. So let’s get into it. The 2026 playoffs have given us four confirmed bouts through April 26. Four. The first round is barely a week old. We’re just getting started, Goons and Goonettes. Table of Contents Three Seconds In: Tkachuk vs. Staal (April 18) The Bruins Conne…

How Wicked Sweet It Is: The Bruins 2026 Fight Card So Far
type: item
creator: Chris
date: 2026-04-06T23:57:46Z
subject: Mark Kastelic
subject: Brendan Dillon
subject: Johnathan Kovacevic
subject: Mathieu Olivier
subject: Michael McCarron
description: You know how you sometimes look at the calendar and it’s already April? Well, that’s a thing in my world, and the Bruins are sitting at 43-26, grinding toward the playoffs, with the boys dropping the mitts like it’s 2011 all over again. I haven’t written a post in a minute. Life gets in the … The post How Wicked Sweet It Is: The Bruins 2026 Fight Card So Far first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: You know how you sometimes look at the calendar and it’s already April? Well, that’s a thing in my world, and the Bruins are sitting at 43-26, grinding toward the playoffs, with the boys dropping the mitts like it’s 2011 all over again. I haven’t written a post in a minute. Life gets in the way. Kids, work, the general exhaustion of being a New England sports fan right now. And Jackie Gleason wouldn’t be proud. But looking at the fight card since January 1st got me fired up. Our beloved Boston Bruins have answered the bell 13 times in 11 games since the ball dropped. <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="672" src="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1024x672.png" alt="Jackie Gleason if he ever played hockey. " class="wp-image-1917" title="How Wicked Sweet It Is: The Bruins 2026 Fight Card So Far | Goons" srcset="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-300x197.png 300w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-768x504.png 768w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1024x672.png 1024w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image.png 1287w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> We don’t think Jackie ever played hockey – but how sweet that would have been. And they aren’t just hugging it out. They are throwing absolute chin-biscuits. Let’s discuss. The Crown Jewel of the Shitty Deal Mark Kastelic is a menace. When the Bruins made that trade, I was skeptical. Most of us were. But Kastelic has turned into an absolute beauty on the ice, shining amid the Bruins’ struggles. He leads the team with four scraps since January. His tilt with Mathieu Olivier on March 29th was heavyweight material. Olivier is a confident killer, maybe the current champ of the league. Kastelic didn’t care. They went toe-to-toe in Columbus. Kastelic threw a massive right hook. Olivier answered. It was old time hockey at its finest. Kastelic also handled Michael McCarron the night before. Back-to-bac…

The Best 2024-2025 NHL Fights
type: item
creator: The Ref
date: 2025-06-29T21:08:43Z
subject: Goons
subject: 2025 Playoffs
subject: Arber Xhekaj
subject: Josh Anderson
description: From blue-line brawls to full-blown melees, this season was a gritty masterclass in one of the sport of hockey’s greatest differentiators: dropping the gloves. The 2024–25 NHL season didn’t just deliver highlight-reel goals and breakout rookies. It delivered pugilistic carnage. And for fans who remember the golden era of enforcers, the message was clear- the … The post The Best 2024-2025 NHL Fights first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: From blue-line brawls to full-blown melees, this season was a gritty masterclass in one of the sport of hockey’s greatest differentiators: dropping the gloves. The 2024–25 NHL season didn’t just deliver highlight-reel goals and breakout rookies. It delivered pugilistic carnage. And for fans who remember the golden era of enforcers, the message was clear- the fight game is far from dead. <img decoding="async" width="2560" height="1707" src="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/image-edited-1-scaled.png" alt="Hockey Fights 2024 2025" class="wp-image-1891" style="width:578px;height:auto" title="The Best 2024-2025 NHL Fights | Goons" srcset="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/image-edited-1-300x200.png 300w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/image-edited-1-768x512.png 768w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/image-edited-1-1024x683.png 1024w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/image-edited-1-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/image-edited-1-2048x1365.png 2048w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/image-edited-1-scaled.png 2560w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> Fists, Fury and a Full 82 There were 297 regular-season fights and two more in the playoffs, marking a noticeable uptick from recent years. This wasn’t just nostalgia, or heat-of-the-moment scraps. These were meaningful fights with momentum swings, revenge arcs, and playoff implications. The increase in intensity was felt league-wide, but especially among the usual suspects: Nashville led the way with 37 tilts, followed closely by Boston and Utah at 30 each. Compare that to the 2020–21 season, where pandemic-era protocols and a rising focus on speed and skill, saw fight totals dip below 200. Or rewind to 2007–08, when there were 664 total fights—more than double what we saw this year. The shift is obvious: while fighting may no longer be the nightly norm, it’s becom…

Oh Captain, My Captain – Winter Classic 2025
type: item
creator: Chris
date: 2025-01-03T23:57:03Z
subject: Nick Foligno
subject: Brayden Schenn
subject: Bauer
subject: Daenerys Targaryen
subject: Wayden
subject: Winter Classic
description: First and fore-(check)-most – Happy New Year, Goons and Goonettes. In the year of our Lord, 2025 – I resolve to be more timely in talking about hockey fights. I have been trying to post this for two days (off to a great start!) but the people at my job have been all like, literally, … The post Oh Captain, My Captain – Winter Classic 2025 first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: First and fore-(check)-most – Happy New Year, Goons and Goonettes. In the year of our Lord, 2025 – I resolve to be more timely in talking about hockey fights. I have been trying to post this for two days (off to a great start!) but the people at my job have been all like, literally, like: you’re here to work. Not post about rink rumbles or Winter Classic confrontations. Winter Classic Blackhawk Blues Having said that, there was a pretty good goddamn scrap at the Winter Classic this year. But you’ve probably already heard about that via word of mouth marketing, Tumbler and MySpace. The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues took it outside at Wrigley Field on the 31st of December, which is a change from the usual date of January 1st. The date change saw me more confused (Bud Lite) than usual, but I still managed to catch the first and third periods of the game. Certain Goons who will remain nameless, however, would really like to see an event like this in Burlington, Vermont though. Now, if I were a Blackhawk, I would start declining invites to play in this tradition full stop – in favor of whacking myself in the schnutz with a Bauer Vapor HyperLite 2. They are now 1-6 in outdoor contests, and were absolutely embarrassed in front of their own crowd Tuesday afternoon. The only bright spot for the fans may have been the beating Hawks Captain, Nick Foligno, doled out to St. Louis Captain, Brayden Schenn. Brayden and Jayden: Monikers Once Forsaken No disrespect to the children or parents who named them in the last 18 years, but this is what happens. When instead of Bob, Matt, or “Tie” – you start making up modern (?) names for your kid. It’s only a matter of time before there’s an NHL netminder with the first name Daenerys. <img decoding="async" width="1011" height="650" src="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/image.png" alt="Daenerys Targaryen as a hockey goalie" class="wp-image-1835" title="Oh Captain, My Captain - Winter Classic 2025 | Goons" srcset="…

Fighting Spirit: Kastelic Shines Amid Bruins’ Struggle
type: item
creator: The Ref
date: 2024-12-31T15:46:17Z
subject: Mathieu Olivier
subject: Jeffery Viel
subject: Mark Kastelic
subject: Nathan Bastain
subject: Ryan Lomberg
subject: Trent Frederic
subject: Hockey Fights
subject: Jim Montgomery
description: The Ref summarized our absence earlier, so I won’t belabor the point that we have gone missing as of late. My only excuse is the Bruins terrible start has left me in a weird state of mind. They suck… so hockey sucks (in my world, currently). Thus, I haven’t been paying attention like I usually … The post Fighting Spirit: Kastelic Shines Amid Bruins’ Struggle first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: The Ref summarized our absence earlier, so I won’t belabor the point that we have gone missing as of late. My only excuse is the Bruins terrible start has left me in a weird state of mind. They suck… so hockey sucks (in my world, currently). Thus, I haven’t been paying attention like I usually do. Having accepted their fate this season, I am back with a few random thoughts. Kudos for Kastelic Mighty Mark Kastelic is my new favorite Bruin by far, and it isn’t even close. I thought he was a nice throw-in for a crappy deal that sent Linus Ullmark to Ottawa, but he’s been the crown jewel of the shitty deal so far. The non-shit end of the stick. <img decoding="async" width="768" height="432" src="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-4.png" alt="Mark Kastelic - Boston Bruins Enforcer - Boston.com" class="wp-image-1821" title="Fighting Spirit: Kastelic Shines Amid Bruins’ Struggle | Goons" srcset="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-4-300x169.png 300w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-4-400x225.png 400w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-4.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> Another Kastelic comeuppance – Image courtesy of Boston.com He’s produced offensively, and he plays in the classic, the prototypical Bruin style. He’s also been willing to drop the mitts on a consistent basis. His fight against current NHL Heavyweight Champion, Mathieu Olivier, Saturday night was typical of his play thus far. Boston got blown out Friday by the Bluejackets, and after Boston went up early 1-0 at home the following night, Olivier and Kastelic tangled. The fight was decent, and I score it a draw. Maybe Kastelic with a slight advantage because he did seem to land a couple of more shots that Olivier. I will say, Mathieu missed with an uppercut that – had it connected – they’d still be trying to Mark Kastelic off the ice, and maybe out of the rafters. I love to see guys fighting in the…

GoonBlog.com: Benched, Traded or Just Lacing Back Up?
type: item
creator: The Ref
date: 2024-12-29T07:42:22Z
subject: Milan Lucic
subject: Hockey Movies
subject: Matt Rempe
subject: Site News
description: The history of our website, Goonblog.com, is a long and sordid yarn. Also “storied“, possibly “alcohol-fueled“. And I have to assume a lot of material hasn’t “aged well“. (Laughing as I write this because I just imagined Bennett Brauer reading those first sentences). Admittedly… it’s been inconsistent. So – let’s address the fact we’ve obviously … The post GoonBlog.com: Benched, Traded or Just Lacing Back Up? first appeared on GoonBlog.com.
encoded: The history of our website, Goonblog.com, is a long and sordid yarn. Also “storied“, possibly “alcohol-fueled“. And I have to assume a lot of material hasn’t “aged well“. (Laughing as I write this because I just imagined Bennett Brauer reading those first sentences). Admittedly… it’s been inconsistent. So – let’s address the fact we’ve obviously lost some posting momentum this season. And run through our history. And nobody has a gun to your head if you’d rather be watching Slapshot. A History of Hostility Back in the site’s 2009-2011 heyday, we were hammered with (relevant/transactional) traffic on a daily basis. Major publications linked to us regularly. Google adored us, and we even got to the point where there was a trickle of advertising, t-shirt and affiliate revenue. Almost enough for a cup of coffee every month. Top of the world, ma. <img decoding="async" width="866" height="469" src="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image.png" alt="Jimmy Cagney: Top of the World, Ma!" class="wp-image-1799" title="GoonBlog.com: Benched, Traded or Just Lacing Back Up? | Goons" srcset="https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-300x162.png 300w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-768x416.png 768w, https://www.goonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image.png 866w" sizes="(max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" /> We were doing a hockey podcast, remote hockey podcasts form Boston Garden, getting into fights at Boston Garden during remote hockey podcasts, interviewing NHL enforcers in person due to a growing perception of “rink cred” – and everything was ticking along nicely. But then, something happened. Some of us had children, some of us moved away from North Station. And after the Bruins’ Stanley Cup win in 2011, that article about the rioting in Vancouver which was picked up by a dozen big outlets, the delightful smiting of the Sedin Sisters, and that torrid tale of Tim Thomas – some of us may have even thought, “Our work is…